Grace filled words

A word aptly spoken is
like apples of gold
in settings of silver.
Proverbs 25:11

I have had time to ponder much in the past couple of days. Every once in awhile, the diabetes reaches out, grabs me, and brings me to the sofa, as it did yesterday. Last year when the same symptoms hit, I was in intensive care for two days, on an insulin drip (or whatever technical term they call it). Thankfully, I'm fine now. I'm a wee bit on the weak side this evening but it is good to be up and around.

Since I couldn't do anything or go anywhere, I had plenty of time to just...think. My ponderings were of many things including what I'd like to share over our cyber fence. I want to share so much about beauty, hospitality, decorating, homeschooling and living the Christian life. I share from my own life and experiences. These past few days, my thoughts have come back often to the lack of grace filled words in our relationships and in our surroundings.

We live in a difficult world, each day brings more challenges. We're in this life together. There are going to be misunderstandings and regrets. There will be disagreements over theology, child rearing, politics, baptism, the timing of (and if there is) a rapture, war, rumors of war, what to do about the environment and world hunger, etc. People are going to hurt us and we're going to hurt people because none of us are perfect. However, I don't want to be someone else's bad day.

So many times through the years, I've seen words typed out and printed on this medium that should never have left our personal thoughts. I'm not talking about pornographic thoughts. I'm talking about sharp tongues coming out through quick fingers online. When both my children were growing up, I often said, "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all". People have been crushed because of words spoken at the wrong time. I'm saddened by the words I read online when brethren speak against brethren (and sister-en).

I mentioned before that my spiritual mentors were Francis and Edith Schaeffer. I've read many times that Francis Schaeffer had one real regret about his life and that was the disagreements that led to relationships and friendships falling apart when he was younger. The older he became, the more he realized it was important to watch our words. I read that when I was younger and I didn't understand. I do now. I learned the hard way that just because I have an opinion, doesn't mean I have to give it. People are more important than my opinion. Words can cause people great pain. Keeping quiet when we want to lash out is perhaps the ultimate sign that we are maturing as Christians.

It is even more important in our homes to have grace filled words. Family members can irritate us faster than anyone in the entire world. They know our buttons and how to push them. It is so easy to open our mouth and "say something" when perhaps it would be better to scream in a pillow until the feelings calm down. There is the need to take a walk or just to remove ourselves from the situation. To breath deeply, listen to music, to pray. To wait until emotions have calmed down to use words.

We live in a world where we are assaulted by words we would rather not hear, words that do not edify our souls but rather, degrade and defile us. If we can do nothing else in our daily lives, we can come prepared with words that are "apples of gold in settings of silver". If you believe the Bible (and I do), then we will give an account of our words someday. I pray that mine will bring life, love, and peace to those who come across my path whether they are in person are over the cyber fence.